


A Wizard's Heart

by Charl_Meister94



Category: Howl no Ugoku Shiro | Howl's Moving Castle
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Rewrite, F/M, Romance, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:21:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24617503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charl_Meister94/pseuds/Charl_Meister94
Summary: This is a short retelling of the tale, with more detail into the romantic development between Howl and Sophie. How Sophie won Howl's heart and how she found her first love in the midst of being cursed.
Relationships: Sophie Hatter/Howl Pendragon
Comments: 13
Kudos: 165





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to my retelling of Howl's Moving Castle. Part of me always wanted something a bit more mature between these two (because I'm a pervert). But please note the rating. 
> 
> Because of the general atmosphere between Howl and Sophie, how pure both seem to be, I thought it would be a bit out of place to really detail the nitty gritty of lovemaking. So it's there, but not done in much detail. I took a few liberties with the story to make it flow, however it is still canon compliant. I hope you enjoy!

Voices chimed through Sophie’s subconscious, distant murmurs becoming distinct phrases the more she roused and twisted out of sleep. Surveying the darkness, she looked towards the drawn curtains dividing where she slept from the living hall and saw slivers of Calcifer’s light winking through. There was an ominous groan from beyond the fabric. A rough, choked sound of repressed pain that clenched her heart.  _ Howl _ . She sat up, legs dangling the side of the bed, toes brushing the hardwood floor as she listened.   
  


“If you keep doing this, Howl, you may never come back. Suliman won’t try to reverse the curse if that happens, even if she favors you. Don’t be like the others, Howl. You have to make a choice.”  
  


“It’s not about Suliman,” he replied on a rasp, gritting his teeth as feathers shrank back like jagged glass sinking into the reforming flesh of his arm. “I’m doing what I can to stop this war, or at least put a wrench in it. To protect the things I care about.”  
  


Sophie gasped and drew back from peeking through the curtains when Howl looked towards her general direction. But slapping her hands over her mouth didn’t stop the thunderous drumming of her heart in her warm ears. How many nights had she mistaken those voices for works of her imagination? How often did Howl and Calcifer have these discussions? Was it only at night, when everyone slept, that Howl allowed himself to be vulnerable within the light of the only one who knew him for what he truly was?   
  


And...even more...he cared about her?  
  


She pressed her hands over her chest, pulse galloping against her palm, and blinked up at the dark ceiling. Well, if an old woman happened to stumble in her home with nowhere else to go, Sophie supposed she would end up caring for her too. She was a helpful addition; a caretaker of sorts whom Calcifer and Markl had grown fond of -- and she liked them too.   
  


Howl wasn’t as scary as the horrid rumors she remembered, exchanged between the girls at the hat shop. He was gentle and kind. Soft-spoken and considerate. So, of course he cared for her...perhaps the way a son would a mother. She couldn’t even imagine him eating the hearts of beautiful, young women.  _ I never would have raised him that way _ ; she chuckled to herself.   
  


As her heart relaxed, her back slowly hunched forward. The healthy brown strands crowning her head turned white with age and her trembling lips creased into itself. She shifted back onto the bed, resting her head on the pillow. Maybe when the war was over, Howl would find a way to undo the curse and then he’d stop caring for her. They would go their separate ways. And then it would be like all of this had been one truly bizarre phantasmagoria that she would hope never to forget.

***


	2. Chapter Two

Sophie tied a handkerchief around her head then pulled on a waist apron after rolling up her pant legs to her thick, heavy knees. This mad shanty of a home was in desperate need of cleaning. Books were scattered all about. Fabrics and small wooden things had been crudely stuffed into corners ready to spit them all back onto the dirty wood floor. The ceiling was barely recognizable with all the spiders making their homes in balls of gossamer thread.   
  


“If girls ever saw this, they’d never get caught by him. For such a handsome man, you would think he’d actually keep his home in better condition. I’m sick of this place!” she grumbled into the kerchief wrapped around her nose and mouth as she swung the broom wildly above her head to clear away the cobwebs.   
  


Dust clouds and sediments fell as she pumped her arms overhead. The corners were next. She yanked out all the fabrics and bunched things to the floor. Roaches and bugs scattered. Mice and their families scurried away, squeaking what must have been curses at the crazy, old woman scaring them out of their homes. Calcifer gasped above the growing heap of ash, begging Sophie to get him more wood or he’d be snuffed in a matter of seconds.  
  


“Sophie, help! Help! I’m dying over here! You’re gonna kill me!”  
  


“Oh, you’ll be fine. I’ll get more wood as soon as I’m done,” she replied, scraping the piled ash from the fireplace.  
  
  
Her cleaning mania continued up the stairs. Markl outran her, yelling he wasn’t ready for her to clean his room as he slammed shut his door. She had no idea what he had to hide, but fifteen-year old boys were sure to have secrets they wouldn’t want some granny stumbling upon. So she retraced her steps to Howl’s bathing room.   
  


The sight of the bathtub alone made her stomach turn. The air was muggy with all sorts of fragrance. There was mold and nasty stains; so much that she couldn’t even discern the tub’s original color. She went to the only window in the room and shoved at it until it flew open to let in gusts of fresh air.   
  


Her back and legs were screaming by the time she was done with everything upstairs, but she trudged on with laundry. Markl was sweet enough to help and Sophie wasn’t surprised when Turnip Head, the scarecrow, hopped in to stretch the clothesline and hold it up at the best angle to dry quickly in the sun.  
  


As she and Markl ate lunch together at a table by a soft, gurgling stream, Sopie began to think life wasn’t so bad as an old woman. After all, if the Witch of the Waste hadn’t cursed her, then she’d have continued a life of easy monotony running the shop.   
  


It wasn’t that she’d hated being at the shop or making hats. In fact, she did miss those days; sitting by the window and making beautiful hats that the girls would sometimes bicker over. Watching the bustling routine of everyday life through that window, catching the train home and drinking hot chocolate before bed. She had cherished those simple days. But this -- she gazed at the sapphire lough sparkling against the golden light of the sun -- was a welcome change.   
  


She wondered how Letty was doing. Her mother. Were they worried about her? She had left a letter behind that she would be gone for a few days. That she didn’t know when she’d be back. She had tried to make the tone as reassuring as she could. But she hoped they were fine and not fretting too much about her. Especially Letty.   
  
  
When the clothes dried, Markl followed behind her with the laundry basket. They brought the table back in and Sophie thanked Turnip Head for helping with the clothes. She wondered what he looked like before the curse befell him. Perhaps he’d been a handsome guy with a fun life. With all that jumping around and following behind her, he must have led a lively life.  
  


“After I fold the clothes, we can have some steamed fish for dinner.”  
  


Markl pouted, “But I hate fish,” he groaned behind her.   
  


“Come now,” Sophie coaxed, “I promise you’ll like it when I make it. My sister always liked when I cooked fish.” But Markl kept pouting and Sophie resisted the urge to pinch his cheeks.  
  


She turned around as they walked into the house, joints freezing when she saw Howl at the fireplace, his back to her. Markl bumped into her and caught himself, holding the basket tight so the clothes wouldn’t spill to the floor.   
  


“She almost killed me! But she got these for me,” Calcifer was saying, showing off the healthy chops of wood Sophie had gathered for the hearth. “I like these ones better.”   
  


Howl faced Sophie when Calcifer finished speaking, a beguiling smile on his butter-soft skin. He had changed his hair. Bangs halved his forehead, which weren’t as flattering as the loose fringe that had framed his face. Not that any of that should’ve mattered to Sophie. He smelled particularly good too. Like sweet, mouthwatering spices. She had to shake her mind from its trance.  
  


“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t bully my friend.”  
  


“You aren’t staying for dinner?” she blurted as he walked by her to the door. Where had that question even come from? Howl was always in and out as he pleased. Sophie had never minded that it was always just her, Calcifer and Markl. But this time, she knew he was going to see another girl and she disliked the notion.   
  


“I have business to attend to. Please stay inside for the rest of the night. Markl protect the house. I’ll be back later.” And then he was gone after switching the dial at the door, soaring off into a deep void with his coat fluttering behind him. The door slammed shut, the dial switched and the pink light of dusk returned, pressing against the windowpane.   
  
  
Sophie sighed and walked towards one of the rooms. Behind her, Markl followed with a puzzled expression on his face. 

***


	3. Chapter Three

She couldn’t sleep. Her body kept tossing itself to find a comfortable position, but suddenly the bed was too lumpy. The pillow poked into her neck like rocks and, with a frustrated groan, she flung the sheet away from her body. Pulling on her boots, she lit a candle then tiptoed from the corner room into the kitchen.   
  


Calcifer’s flame crackled and popped gently with its soft snores. How queer for a flame to be so human-like. But Sophie had stopped questioning bizarre things the moment her entire life turned into a circus straight out of the Wonderland tale. In the kitchen, she set the candle down on the table and took a glass from the cabinet to fill it with water.   
  


Sleepless nights weren’t common for Sophie. Her mind was often cocooned in serene thoughts, never overwhelmed by worries or things she had no control over. She took life as it came, but tonight her mind refused to rest.   
  


All she could think about, curiously enough, was Howl. She had never wondered so much about him. The surface of what and who he was had been enough in the beginning, but not anymore. She wanted to know why he was a part of this war. For someone so benevolent, why would he lend his power to the King’s greedy exploits?   
  


Sophie had always hated war. The destruction and fear, and grief it callously left behind. Scars that often never healed long after it ended.   
  


Something shifted from the corner of her eye and she gasped, spinning round to face either an intruder or a hallucination. She almost thought it was the latter, but that unsteady breathing was real. She stepped towards it. Slowly. With her fist clenched tight to her chest.   
  


“Don’t come any closer,” the voice rasped out -- a deep, agonized sound. That of a monster. But she knew better.  
  


“Howl?” she squinted into that dark corner. His figure shifted. She could make the outline of feathers. Then she saw his bruised face and cut lip. She cried out when he stumbled forward on weak legs.   
  


She caught him against her chest, arms wrapping around his back where she felt a sticky wetness through his shirt. Her hand came away red. “You’re hurt!”   
  


He swallowed a wince, pushing words through grit teeth, “I’ll be fine. You should go back to bed.”  
  


“Take off your shirt and let me see.”  
  


“Sophie-”  
  


“This is no time for pride, Howl. Let me see.”  
  


He raised his head and saw brown stones blazing from a face absent the gullies of age. Within the shadows, he saw Sophie for who she truly was. Young and energetic. Stubborn and persistent. Staring at him with a defiance no girl before her had ever thought to face him with.   
  


“Anger isn’t very flattering on a woman.”  
  


“I never tried to be,” she snapped. “Now, remove your shirt.”   
  


He sighed and swallowed against another groan as he unbuttoned the frayed, dirty linen.   
  


“You know, girls would normally turn away and peek through their fingers when I undress.” He shrugged out of the garment, letting it fall to the floor.   
  


“Now isn’t the time, Howl,” she hissed at him, in spite of her rouging cheeks. He managed a chuckle, watching her slender fingers brush against the hard planes of his chest to his shoulders.   
  


She studied his back in the candlelight glowing over his ivory skin. She knew magic was real, but almost couldn’t believe her eyes as Howl’s skin repaired itself. Fibers of muscle and flesh reattached themselves and soon, it was as if there were no wounds to speak of.   
  


Sophie’s breath returned in a rattling gasp when Howl spoke up. “Do you see now? I told you, I’m fine.”  
  


Without thinking, she reached out once more, smooth skin meeting her touch. He flinched with a repressed wince and she retracted her hand. “I’m...I’m sorry. It’s painful, isn’t it? Does your body do this all the time?”  
  


“It’s nothing I’m not used to,” he said, trying his best to sound flippant, but another grunt squeezed from his bruised ribs as he bent to pick up his shirt.   
  


“Aren’t you tired, Howl?” she asked in a soft voice when he faced her. It was almost instinctive the way her hand reached up to his cheek, ghosting the purple scratches there.   
  


He leaned into her soft palm. Besides Calcifer, it was the warmest thing he’d ever known. Smooth and sweet, beckoning forth something he hadn’t felt in a long time. He almost turned his face into her palm to kiss its center and breathe her in, but he simply blinked down at her.   
  


“I heard Calcifer say that if you aren’t careful you could turn into a monster.”  
  


He smiled and stepped forward, watching her eyes gleam with a sense of alarm. Sophie snatched back her hand, legs backpedaling as Howl advanced with a taunting, predatory gait. “So you had been eavesdropping that night.”  
  


“It wasn’t my fault you two spoke so loudly that my dead grandmother could have heard.”  
  


He chuckled and sobered when Sophie’s back met with the wall. “You don’t have to worry about a thing, Sophie. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”  
  


She shook her head, “That’s not what I’m asking Howl.”  
  


“Everything will be fine.”  
  


She stomped her foot, “Will you insist on being so stubborn? Because if that’s what you want to do, fine! I won’t care if you turn into a monster or a wretch like that witch!”  
  


She shoved him away and stormed out of the kitchen, but was jerked to a halt. Sophie stiffened as footsteps inched close behind her. Howl’s chest shadowed her back and she could feel the weight -- the heat -- of his nearness, causing her heart to do its jittery dance once more.   
  


Howl’s forehead rested into her left shoulder. She felt him inhale then exhale. “Don’t be angry with me, Sophie. Please.”  
  


She looked upward, as if appealing to God to grant her heart the strength. Unclenching the sides of her nightdress, she hummed out a reassuring sound, “I’m not angry with you, Howl. I just want you to be careful.”   
  


“I won’t lose myself. I can’t. Besides, I can’t leave Markl alone with such a grumpy old woman all the time. He’d never forgive me...I bet he’s never seen you like this.”   
  


“Oh please, he wouldn’t even know the difference.”  
  


Howl chuckled,a husky sound that made Sophie’s stomach flop about. He was a devil of a man, really.   
  


“Stay with me, Sophie.”  
  


She tried to angle her head to see the face hidden into her shoulder, blond strands pooling her sleeve. His hands came around her waist then. Not imposing, nor too tightly to stir caution. But he held her gently. It felt natural, yet frightening at the same time. No one had ever held her this intimately. Breathing now felt too gauche, but all she could do was accept the weight of his exhaustion.   
  


“Howl-”  
  


“Just a moment longer,” he murmured and she said nothing more.    
  


When he disengaged himself, his fingers brushing hers, they wordlessly left the kitchen -- him to his room and she to hers. And beneath the covers, she realized that within the stillness and nearness they had shared, she had not felt his heartbeat.

***


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never read the novel, but in the movie I think it was mentioned that Howl's first wax-meltdown happened because he'd been rejected by a girl he was in love with. This is where my take will deviate from what's canon about Howl's first love. Please enjoy.

Howl remembered the first time he’d fallen in love. It had been an all-consuming whirlwind that had chewed him up and spat him out without mercy. An unrequited love he’d almost never recovered from. In the naïveté of youth, he’d met Elena — a prominent lord’s daughter.   
  


Everything about her had been perfect; from the beautiful golden tresses of hair that always swept her back, to the cyan jewels that rivaled the depths of the sea. She’d been more mesmerizing than the Witch of the Waste in her youth. Lethally bewitching. And Howl had fallen a little too hard -- a little too fast.   
  


For him, she’d been the only girl with a heart worthy to fill the void of his own. For her, he was an amusing conquest to be humiliated. In spite of the rumors, many girls hid secret desires to be chased by Howl, and Elena flaunted his attention. She indulged his dates and indulged in his extravagance. When it came to intimacy, she’d taunted him with kisses and touches yet never gave herself completely. But Howl never cared that she reserved her womanhood, as long as he could have her by his side.   
  


Then one day he’d seen the papers.   
  


As he’d strolled a line of flower shops searching for a special bouquet to celebrate her birthday, a newspaper stand caught his eye. There was a picture of her standing with an older man, a massive mustache covering his top lip. Howl had squinted at the caption, had chuckled in a hysterical fit of disbelief. Because why would an engaged woman not wear her ring? Why would she have lied that Howl had been everything she’d ever wanted? That there had been no-one else?  
  


In that moment, he’d felt many things. Clenching his fists hadn't quelled the violent jerks and no matter how hard he’d blinked, the tears never stopped. He’d strode all the way back home, stumbling over cobblestones. The second he’d stepped through the door, his skin began to drip like wax with his tears. He’d all but crawled to Calcifier’s side and moaned that he wanted to die. Then after that...his memories warped into a white space of nothing that brought him back to the present, where he laid in bed.   
  


Back to a house much cleaner and nicer smelling than those days. Back to an old woman sitting by his side, watching over him with a glass of milk in her weathered hands. Hands that, a few nights ago, had been more slender and delicate against his battered skin.   
  


“Are you feeling better now? Would you like some milk?” she asked, slightly leaning forward to offer it to him. He shook his head. She placed it on the table, then gazed around at the magical trinkets and protection talismans that covered the room -- from floor to ceiling. It wasn’t until Howl that she’d even believed magic was real, or found herself intrigued by its mysteries.  
  


“I’m sorry you had to see me like that,” he murmured and Sophie sighed.   
  


“No, I suppose I should apologize. You told me not to touch your things and I did.”   
  


He studied her face, trying to discern any judgment in her eyes for his earlier behavior. After Sophie’s mad cleaning spree, he’d taken a bath trusting that she hadn’t troubled the things in his bathroom. But she had. And when he saw colors like ink stains on his hands as he’d washed his hair, he realized what she’d done.   
  


No girl would want him with shocking, orange hair. It had been ghastly. Enough to bring him back to that sorry state when he’d found out about Elena. He couldn’t recall a thing after sinking into the chair and groaning that there was no point in living if he couldn’t be beautiful. But he knew Sophie had taken care of him. That she'd hauled him right from the char and taken him up to the bathroom. Then he blacked out and now he was here in bed, dressed in one of his linen tunics, ruffled at the wrists, and black trousers.   
  


“It doesn’t matter, it shouldn’t have. I haven’t brought a girl on a date in awhile. Not that they would want anything to do with me now.”  
  


Sophie rolled her eyes, shoulders sagging with her long-suffering exhale. “You’re being a child, Howl. Your name alone sets every girl’s tongue wagging. Why should it matter whether your hair is blond or black? You are still you.”   
  


Howl regarded her with a funny expression, “And who am I, Ms. Sophie Hatter?”   
  


She pressed her hands to her skirt, palms ironing out the cotton fabric so she wouldn’t have to maintain Howl’s curious gaze. “You are kind and considerate. A little foolhardy, sometimes a brat, but gentle nonetheless. It’s none of my business but...maybe you should try to settle down instead of having these pointless dates.”  
  


“But I love women.”  
  


Sophie swallowed against the tightening in her chest, “I suppose stupidity really has no cure.”   
  


Howl laughed at that and then sat up, leaning towards Sophie with a shimmering gaze. She recoiled. “There is one girl I’m really growing to like.”   
  


“I’m sure she must feel lucky,” she bit out, folding her hands across her chest.   
  


Howl’s smile faltered at the corners, “Well...I don’t think she knows and with everything that’s going on…” he turned away to look at a swaying pendulum in the shape of an eye. Above him, a tiny biplane’s propeller spun on its own. “I’m being summoned by the king.”  
  


Sophie looked down at him, evident reluctance in his frown. “You don’t have to go Howl. You can say no.”  
  


“What?” He blinked at her, incredulous. “You don’t turn down the king. I’ve tried avoiding conflict by lending my power. But the war now is…” he trailed off, lips and tongue feeling stiff. A reminder of the spell put on him. No one talked of the true intentions behind the war. After all, the Ingary forces were doing the right thing. Protecting their territory while trying to possess another. Even if that meant senseless violence against innocent lives. “I’ve tried to do what I can to slow the king’s army, but Madame Suliman knows what I’ve been doing. I can’t face her. You have no idea what she would do to me.”  
  


“But you’re a powerful wizard, Howl. It’s time you stood up for yourself and let that witch Suliman know you refuse to be intimidated by her. Your freedom is yours, no-one else’s. You can live the life you want, not bound to the king or anyone for that matter.” Her voice broke from its frail cadence as the wrinkles and creases of age disappeared into her true, youthful visage.  
  


Howl’s eyes dropped to her lips. The entire sequence of him shifting forward and cupping her face was quick and fluid. Sophie’s eyes shot wide at the feel of warm lips against her own. She could have died on the spot, because she was sure there was no pulse sustaining the flow of blood through her veins. Her fists clenched her dress. Heat spread from her lips to her nose and ears, all the way down to her toes. She didn’t budge until he pulled away and opened her mouth to scold him, but it trembled stupidly.   
  


“You should go in my place, Sophie. Tell Madame Suliman that I’m your son and I can no longer participate in the war because I’m ill.”  
  


“You-...I...excuse me?” she sputtered, lips still burning.  
  


“Please do this for me. She won’t know the truth and then we can leave this place. Calcifer and I will move us somewhere better, where no one will ever find us. We will be free. Together. You, me, Calcifer and Markl.”   
  


Unable to do much else but nod like someone without their wits, Sophie allowed Howl to persuade her into accepting Madame Suliman’s invitation to the king’s palace. He walked with her back to her room, instructing her on all she was to do the next day. But her short-circuiting nerves couldn’t comprehend his words. All of it came in like an out of tune trumpet blasting against her ear.    
  


That night, she didn’t sleep. Fingers on her lips, she retraced the lingering pressure of Howl's mouth and wondered if she must be mad. Because she was falling in love with the heartless wizard.

***


	5. Chapter Five

Chaos descended on Ingary without preamble.   
  


Bombs fell from the sky. Houses went up in bursts of flame and rubble. The earth shook violently and Sophie realized she may have been too optimistic about Howl breaking from Suliman’s hold. Even though they had moved again, Suliman’s henchmen were still searching for this place with aggressive insistence. And Howl was out there, doing all he could to protect them, but he was running out of time.   
  


Even though he hadn’t lost himself as quickly as the other wizards who served the king, he probably wouldn’t last until morning and Sophie knew she had to do something. But now she had more than just Markl and Calcifer to consider. The witch of the waste and a web-footed dog that had followed her from the King’s palace, were now part of the equation.   
  


All Sophie’s rage against the witch had mellowed at the sight of the woman drained of all power. Her shrewd eyes now bulged with a meek light from deep sockets, her bulbous nose drooped towards her thin lips and she had shrunken into a pitiable form of sagging flesh taken with Calcifer’s flame.   


“We have to move, Calcifer,” she said in a rush of breath, looking around for something that she could use to move the fire from the hearth. Finding a shovel, she moved forward but Calcifer was recoiling from her.   
  


“Sophie, wait! What are you doing? I can’t leave the fireplace! Not without Howl. Remember the contract!”  
  


“Then I will do it for you, everything will be okay. We have to do this Calcifer, or Suliman will find us and then we won’t be able to save Howl.”   
  


Markl was already moving quickly, helping the witch down the steps of the house.   
  


Calcifer jumped, flailing fearfully, “You’ll kill me, Sophie! I’m fragile. Do it gently, gently....” he winced. Sophie carefully lifted the flame and started towards the door. “Wait! Wait, let me be the last one outta this place. I don’t know what’s gonna happen, I’ve never left the castle but don’t go out before me.”  
  
Sophie nodded and shifted around, backing out of the door slowly with Calcifer being the last. The second the flame crossed the threshold, everything crumbled away and was destroyed as if sucked into a vacuum. Just as she presumed, with the magic dismantled, Suliman's henchmen wouldn't be able to track them anymore.  
  


“You saw that?!” Calcifer squawked, “imagine if you had let me out before you.” The flame seemed to shudder and Sophie tried not to think of what really could have happened in that case.   
  


“What are we going to do now?” Markl asked, holding tight to the old witch’s hand. Above them, heavy rain clouds slowly gathered. Sophie looked around them and beamed when Turnip Head hopped towards them. Since the beginning of her journey as an old woman, this scarecrow had kept bringing her goodluck despite being cursed itself.   
  


“Turnip Head, do you think you could help us find a way back inside?”  
  


It hopped energetically, leading them around to the rear of the castle where the door swung limply from a single hinge. Then it began raining and Calcifer squawked in terror. They hurried back in and Markl helped the witch over to a chair. The roof was leaking now, but there wasn’t much Sophie could do about that.   
  


She set Calcifer down on a table and looked around. There had to be some wood around here...somewhere. Her search ended pointlessly.  
  


“We have to find Howl, Calcifer. You have to move.”   
  
  
“I’ve never done that on my own, Sophie. I need Howl for that.”  
  


“Please, please you must try to move the castle, Calcifer. You can do it. I know you can.”

  
Calcifer gazed around at the creaking house. The pulse within its core vibrated faintly; Howl was in danger. Whether he believed in himself or not, he had to do something. “I suppose I could do that. But I’m gonna need something of yours. A part of you.”  
  


Sophie blinked down at him in thought then made a sound as she held her hair, “How about this?” She lifted the long white braid, tied with a pink bow. 

  
Calcifer reached up and Sophie bent forward to offer it. Calcifer’s flaming arms took hold, pulling the thick braid into its mouth. Then sparks flew and the flame blazed with robust heat, forming into a puffed chest of muscle as Calcifer rose and pushed at the ceiling. The entire house lurched, creaking and collapsing away in several places as it moved.

  
Sophie let out an exclamation of wonder as she ran to the ledge, hands braced on its edge as her now short hair whipped in the wind. They were getting further away from the town toward Howl. She hoped they wouldn’t be too late.   
  


“You’re doing an amazing job, Calcifer! Your flame is the best!” Her praises made Calcifer howl with giddy boasts.  
  


“If you want to see real power, give me something more. Like your eyes or your heart!” 

  
Sophie ignored him, eyes widening when she saw something in the distance. A huge bird-like figure being swarmed by smaller forms like bats. It had to be -- “Howl! I see him, Calcifer! You did it!”

  
But behind her, madness erupted. The witch, manically chanting that she would have Howl’s heart, wrestled away from Markl’s attempts to restrain her and grabbed Calcifer. Sophie turned when she heard the ghastly screams and Calcifer’s yells. The witch’s hands were scorched, flesh burning away, but she refused to let go.   
  


“Granny, stop it! Don’t do this!” The house jerked about violently, collapsing even more around them. But the witch refused to let go, lifting the fire towards her face. Sophie screamed out for her to stop, then ran for a pail she had set to collect water from the leaking roof. She threw it over the witch’s hands and the hiss that followed was the most haunting sound she had ever heard. 

  
The flame died and within the witch’s cupped hands was something like a charred stone, a blue flame weakly burning. They all stared in terror. Sophie’s eyes filled with tears. It rained all around them and the dog barked hoarsely at Sophie’s feet.   
  


What had she done? She broke down in wretched sobs, her head full of images of a dying Howl, feathers falling from a form lost to the overuse of magic. Ultimately killed because of her.  
  


Hein barked again and she blinked down at him. “I poured water over Calcifer. What if I killed Howl? What have I done? I didn’t mean to do that.” She didn’t know if she was pleading with the dog or an unknown entity listening to her cries. But the ring Howl had given her before she’d left for the King’s palace began to glow. She gasped and stared as the beam flailed then pointed north with a fluorescent glow. Did that mean Howl was still alive?   
  


Sniffling, she got to her feet and looked up at the open door it pointed to, standing against a pile of rubble, splintered wood and stones. Nothing but darkness ahead, but Sophie trusted the light. Felt something familiar pulling her forward and she followed its magnetic sway. Behind her, the dog ran in frantic circles and then, with another hoarse bark, jumped after her into the void.   
  


It was as if she was walking through air, reminiscent of when Howl had held her hands as he escorted her above the hustle and bustle of her hometown. Then, the darkness gave way to form and a grassy landing. Above her, stars spread out and there was a lone cottage within the endless field. There was also a lake and she thought of the place Howl had made just for her with endless flower fields. It was a lot like this place.   
  


Then shooting stars began to zip across the sky and she saw a little boy with dark hair across the lake, dressed in black trousers and a woolen shirt. It had to be...  
  


“Howl,” she gasped out and stumbled forward when he caught a star. Her brows drew together as his cupped hands lifted to his mouth. Then he swallowed and clutched at his chest, hunched forward until sparks burst through his fingers. Slowly, he unclenched his fists and a flame grew from his palms. Then the ground beneath her broke apart. She gasped, trying to kick away at the space swallowing her down. The ring squeezed against her finger then burst apart.  
  


“Howl!” she screamed and the boy turned to her, “Calcifer! Howl! Wait for me! Please! Don’t forget about me. I will see you in the future!”    
  


And then he was gone. The entire landscape shrouded itself from her and she was floating down once again into that abysmal space. Ahead of her, the dog looked back and barked what almost sounded like a reprimand. Sophie couldn’t stop crying, her tears floated away like jiggling blobs of water. Maybe it was the relief that Howl was still alive; that she had learned something of his past. That there was still a chance to save him.

***


	6. Chapter 6

When they returned to their world, Howl was waiting for her. She walked up to him, looking into his blank stare. He didn’t seem to be aware of his surroundings, but Sophie knew he could hear her and feel her. So she reached for his face, felt the feathers that merged with his flesh and kissed him. She wanted nothing more than to just hold him close and never leave his side, but she had to break the spell if Howl and Calcifer were to ever be free. 

“Howl...you were waiting for me? I’m sorry I took so long,” she gazed up at him, palm brushing the feathered edge of his face, “please take me to Calcifer.” 

In a mindless motion, Howl’s form shifted and a giant claw extended for her to stand on. She wrapped her hand tight around the rough flesh and Howl slowly took flight. There was still enough time to save them both. If Howl was still alive. So was Calcifer. Then she saw three forms in the distance and when Howl landed, she rushed forward to Markl and the witch. Turnip Head was standing by the board on which they knelt.

Howl’s feathers blew away, whisking around his human form that laid flat on the board. Passed out yet still breathing shallowly. 

“Is he dead?” Markl asked, concern tightening his voice.

Sophie shook her head, “No, he’ll be fine.” she approached the witch still clinging to Calcifer’s dying flame, turning away from her. 

“Granny, please. Please give it to me. Howl is dying and I have to save him. Please.” Sophie wrapped her hands tight around the witch’s neck, squeezing tight as her tears melted into the folds of fat pillowing the woman’s neck. 

“You really want this?”

“Yes, yes I do. Please.” 

The witch sighed and opened her burned hands with a distant look of regret and wistfulness about her gaze, “I’ve lost, but I know you will take good care of it. Right?”

“Yes, yes I will. Thank you, granny.”

Sophie took hold of Calcifer, breath catching in her throat at the frail pulse she felt. The fragile warmth wrapped in her hands. Calcifer looked up at her and she smiled down with what she hoped was reassurance. 

“Are you alright?”

“I’m still alive, even though you poured water over me. Howl is still alive too. I’m so tired…”  
  
  


“If I give Howl his heart back, what will happen to you?”

Calcifer seemed to be fighting lethargy, squinting up at Sophie, “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” 

But that wasn’t what Sophie wanted to hear. She held Calcifer close as she walked over to Howl then knelt by his side. Closing her eyes, she whispered a prayer, “I wish Calcifer will live for a thousand more years and Howl will have his heart and spirit back. Please.” 

She placed Calcifer over Howl’s chest, then gently pressed until she felt the flame enter Howl’s body. Nothing happened for several seconds. Everyone's breath was suspended within that moment, smothered by a sense of anxious expectation. Then small fireworks seemed to burst from Howl’s chest. There was a swirl of sparks and then Calcifer reappeared. A bright, rosy flame.

“I’m alive! I’m still alive!”

Sophie and Markl exchanged glad smiles, then she felt something warm zip by her ear. She cupped her hands for Calcifer to settle himself within her palms. Bringing it close, she kissed at the flame, causing it to glow a bashful red. 

Then there was a cough and a groan. Howl opened his eyes and Sophie all but flew to his side. “You’re okay!” She buried her face into his neck, holding tight to him as if she couldn’t bear to let him leave her side again. 

Howl pulled away to look at her hair, running his hands through the silver strands. Much, much shorter than he remembered it, yet all the more glorious. “Sophie, you’re so beautiful. Your hair is like the stars.”

“Howl,” she gasped out, eyes filling with tears at the thought that she'd made it in time. “I love you so much.” He gathered her in his arms when she threw herself at him again. She didn’t care that they weren’t the only ones around, she kissed Howl with everything she had. 

Beside them, Turnip Head’s curse was being lifted. The scarecrow had hid the form of a handsome prince, disappointment lining his smooth face as he saw the way Sophie gazed at Howl.

“You have to stop this war, young man. It’s gone on long enough.”

Turning to the old witch, he placed his hand over his left breast and bowed deeply, “You have my word. And when it is over, I will come back to look for you.” 

The witch followed the young prince’s gaze to Sophie and Howl then shook her head, “Hearts so strong in love are always hard to sway. Maybe next time you and I can have a chat over some tea and cakes,” she said with a bashful wink. 

The prince smiled and straightened, reaching for the stick that had held his form together as a scarecrow. He waved goodbye to Sophie as he hopped away, back towards Ingary. 

“Calcifer, now that you’re free, where will you go?”

“What do you mean where will I go? I’m staying here with you guys. I won’t have to worry about the rain or anything like that when I’m with you. You want me back, don’t you?”

Sophie and Howl laughed, “Of course we want you with us! You are part of the family. Welcome back Calcifer.”

“Now…” Howl’s hand wrapped around Sophie’s waist as he inclined his forehead to hers, “let’s go home.”

***


	7. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've reached the end of my retelling of Howl's Moving Castle (with the lovemaking scene I couldn't resist lol). I hope you all enjoyed reading, and for those who shared their thoughts, thank you so much for reading. I'm glad I was able to give you something entertaining to read :)
> 
> Until next time!

It didn’t take long for Howl to make a new castle. It wasn’t as unseemly as the first, with its gigantic metal parts and wooden structures that made it seem like a cursed contraption of failed science. Now, it was more like an amalgamation of colorful cottages. Sophie had rooms of her own where she could make hats and dresses, locking herself away to enjoy the things she’d spent her days doing in the past. Howl had also restored the special place he had made for her with the vast, luscious spread of flower beds and gardens. 

She often shared lunch with Markl; other times she and Howl would take long walks together during the evenings by the stream. There was even an area where Markl could play with Hein on the balcony. They were free to go wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted without having to limit their movements to the cover of night or dense fog. 

Sophie was happy with this new life. How it all happened had been so bizarre; part of her was still anticipating that she’d awake and find this had all just been a wild dream that had gone on for too long, But, she wrote after dipping her quill into the inkwell, even if it were all just a dream, I would hope to return to it every night and have Howl there waiting for me. She rested the quill on the table and looked over her writing. 

She and Letty now exchanged frequent letters. Her sister had married and was expecting a baby. Sophie couldn’t have been there for the wedding, but she promised in her letter that she and Howl would visit for the birth of her baby. 

There was a knock at the door and she shifted her chair away from the table to see Howl entering. He closed the door behind him and walked over to Sophie, shoes clacking softly against the wood. 

“You’re early. Is everything okay?” 

“My errands didn’t take me as long as I thought they might have. And I missed you.”

Sophie smiled at him as he sank down onto the bed, “I missed you very much too. Even though the war is over and where we are is peaceful, I still get anxious that everything could change again, the way it did a year ago.”

Howl held out his hand for her and she took it, letting him guide her to sit by his side. “Nothing will happen to us now. We’re safe. I’m not going anywhere.” He leaned in and kissed her forehead, then her cheek and after a short, exchanged glance of seeking and receiving permission, Howl’s lips took hers. 

It was all too easy for Sophie to melt into Howl's kiss; she allowed him to lift and then place her beneath him on the bed. Even though the curse had been lifted from Sophie, her hair had never changed back to its cocoa roots. But Howl loved the way it splayed like spider's silk over the blue pillow beneath her head, highlighting the dilated shine of her brown eyes. 

He took his time to undress her and relax her, steady and deft hands brushing over her exposed skin trembling beneath his touch. And when they were both naked, he covered them with the sheets, kissing along Sophie’s jawline as he laid between her thighs. He waited until she arched into him with evident need and raised herself to steal a kiss laced with need and desire. 

In the soft flicker and glow of the candlelight by the table, Howl made love to her. He drew glad cries and soft encouragements vibrating from her throat against his mouth. Sophie could only clutch at him, nails digging into his back to keep her anchored against the maddening heat that kept building inside her. He kissed away her tears, swallowed her tortured gasps and pleas as they sought and found release in each other’s embrace. 

And when it was over, he gathered her damp body to his and kissed her forehead, feeling the flutters of her heart against his chest. 

“I’m glad you found me, Sophie.”

She closed her eyes and smiled, burying her face into his warm chest as his words reverberated through her with his shy confession. “I’m glad I found you too.” 

***


End file.
